Sep 20, 2019
Josue Medellin-Azuara
Water Management in California under Climate Extremes

Josué Medellín-Azuara is an Acting Associate Professor at UC Merced, and an Associate Director of the UC Agricultural Issues Center. He also serves as an Adjunct Research Fellow at the PPIC Water Policy Center, and as a managing partner for Pacific Agroecology and Economics, LLC.  His professional experience includes project and environmental management positions and consulting for industry and non-governmental organizations such as the Natural Heritage Institute, the Stockholm Environment Institute, El Colegio de México, the Catholic University of Chile, and the World Bank. His research is focused on water supply and agricultural production considering climate extremes, water quality, and food-water-energy system interactions. He obtained his Ph.D. from UC Davis.

 

Lessons Learned for Water Management in California under Climate Extremes

California has successfully weathered past droughts and floods with the benefit of learning from these past extreme events. This seminar provides an overview of California’s water resources for agriculture, cities and the environment with a retrospect analysis of how these past extremes have contributed to contemporary water management. While California’s extreme events need not to be economically catastrophic, these always bring impacts and challenges to some sectors like small rural communities and native ecosystems. Opportunities for innovation in water use and management in California and other semi-arid regions will be discussed.